India’s women’s hockey team secured a memorable fifth-place finish at the 2026 Hockey World Cup after defeating Germany 3-1 at the Wagener Stadium in Amstelveen on Thursday.
The result marked India’s best finish at the World Cup since their fourth-place performance in the inaugural 1974 edition.
After a goalless first half, India produced a superb attacking display after the break. Ishika Chaudhary opened the scoring in the 43rd minute with a brilliant reverse-lift. Navneet Kaur then extended India’s lead through a penalty corner in the 44th minute.
Navneet struck again early in the final quarter, calmly finishing after rounding the German goalkeeper to make it 3-0.
Germany pulled one back through Lynn Krings in the 59th minute, but India held firm during the closing stages to complete a 3-1 victory.
The win capped an impressive tournament for India and provides valuable momentum ahead of the Asian Games, which will be an important step in the team’s preparations for the Olympics.